'Wanted' Posters for Health Care CEOs in NYC: Here's What We Know
In the days following the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on a street in New York City and the arrest of a suspect, Luigi Mangione, several "wanted" posters targeting other health care CEOs went up around the city.
Multiple news outlets shared videos and images of the posters (mostly blurred out), while un-blurred images of the posters spread widely on multiple social media platforms, including X, Reddit and Instagram (Snopes is not linking to the latter posts due to reports of ongoing threats against the targeted executives). Many of the posters appeared partially removed or torn. One of the posters included a photo of Thompson with a red "X" through it.
"Are these actually real? And if so were they posted before or after," one Reddit user commented.
Several reputable news outlets have documented visual proof of the posters. We reached out to the New York Police Department, which confirmed it was aware of the posters. A spokesperson wrote to Snopes via email: "We are aware of the posters and are investigating these incidents."
As ABC News first reported, the NYPD released a bulletin on Dec. 10, 2024, that mentioned the posters and highlighted social media posts that were "emphasizing that it [each poster] is a hit list and that CEOs should be afraid."
While we can confirm the posters exist, and images of them were not fundamentally altered, it is unclear who created them or for what purpose. They're not real in any official capacity — the CEOs identified were not actually "wanted" by law enforcement.
The small text of the posters included the words "Deny," "Defend" and "Depose," three words engraved on bullet casings left behind after Thompson's killing. "When the rich rob the poor, it's called business. When the poor fight back, it's called violence. FIGHT BACK," each poster read. And below the CEOs' names and positions: "Health care CEOs should not feel safe."
The words "Deny," "Defend" and "Depose" echo the title of the 2010 book "Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims and What You Can Do About It." According to the AP, "Delay, deny, defend" is the way some attorneys describe how insurers deny services and payment. The Merriam-Webster definition of "depose" is: "To remove from a throne or other high position."
In sum, credible news outlets have documented visual proof of the posters, and the NYPD confirmed that they are aware of them. However, it is unclear, as of this writing, who created the posters and why.
Sources:
Definition of DEPOSE. 7 Dec. 2024, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depose.
Feinman, Jay M. Delay, Deny, Defend: Why Insurance Companies Don't Pay Claims and What You Can Do about It. Portfolio, 2010.
'Key Details about the Man Accused of Killing UnitedHealthcare's CEO'. AP News, 4 Dec. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-brian-thompson-shooting-79a9710978fc7adbb23d3fed4ea2f70d.
More in U.S.
University of Michigan issues emergency alert for stabbing on campus
Newman, Andy, et al. 'Suspect in Health Care C.E.O.'s Killing Charged With Murder'. The New York Times, 9 Dec. 2024. NYTimes.com, https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/12/10/nyregion/unitedhealthcare-ceo-luigi-mangione.
News, A. B. C. 'Executive "hit Lists" and Wanted Posters: NYPD Warns about Threats to Executives'. ABC News, https://abcnews.go.com/US/executive-hit-lists-wanted-posters-nypd-warns-threats/story?id=116662519. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.
Pastis, Stephen. 'Here's What We Know About CEO "Wanted" Posters Appearing In NYC After UnitedHealthcare Murder—As NYPD Investigates'. Forbes, https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephenpastis/2024/12/12/heres-what-we-know-about-ceo-wanted-posters-appearing-in-nyc-after-unitedhealthcare-murder-as-nypd-investigates/. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.
'Police Investigate NYC "Wanted" Posters of Finance Executives'. Bloomberg.Com, 11 Dec. 2024. www.bloomberg.com, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-12-11/cops-investigate-wanted-posters-of-executives-around-nyc.
'Words on Ammo in CEO Shooting Echo Common Phrase on Insurer Tactics: Delay, Deny, Defend'. AP News, 5 Dec. 2024, https://apnews.com/article/unitedhealthcare-ceo-shooting-delay-deny-defend-depose-ee73ceb19f361835c654f04a3b88c50c.
- YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csxeBuHx3JU. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
- YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAn6V5MoVQs. Accessed 17 Dec. 2024.
- YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQnpRKribKA. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.
Updates:
This story was updated to remove identifiers of the targeted CEOs due to reports of ongoing threats.
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